Assembling apparatus.



APPLICATION FILED 19m.

B. F. BROWN. ASSEMBLING APP 0 fir'o wra, M

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN F. BROWN, 0F FITCHBURG. MASSACHUSETTS. ASSIGNQR TO BROWN BAG FILLING MACHINE COMPANY, OF FITCHBURG, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

ASSEMBLING APPARATUS.

Patented July 31, 1917.

Application filed September 3, 1912. Serial No. 718,270.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN F. BROWN, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Fitchburg, county of Worcester, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Assembling Apparatus, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like characters on the drawing representing like parts.

In United States Patent No. 7 52,37 3 granted to me February 16, 1904, an apparatus is shown and described for facilitating the handling and sealing of envelops or bags each containing a plurality of smaller sealed bags containing different seeds or other articles, the large bags being brought to the sealing devices on a traveling conveyor.

A later Patent No. 877,900 granted February 4, 1908 to J. R. Brown, designed for use in connection with the first mentioned apparatus; embodies a series of bins for containing the small bags or envelops having differentwarieties of seeds or similar articles therein, and a distributing reservoir in front of each bin, to contain a supply of the envelops, in condition for easy handling.

The conveyer referred to in my prior patent is arranged with its upper run in front of the the reservoirs, and as the large envelops or bags are carried along by the conveyer operatives take the required number or set of small sealed bags from the reservoirs and place them in each of the large bags, the

latter thereafter being conveyed to the scal ing or fastening mechanism substantially as disclosed in my prior patent.

The practical operation of this assembling apparatus has disclosed certain features which tend to slow down or impede" the progress of the operation as a whole, for the large bags or envelops lie flat upon the conveyor in such a way that time is lost in opening them up for the reception of the small envelops.

So, too, the bags change their position on the conveyor and the operatives have to handle them more than is desirable.

My present invention has for its object the production of an assembling apparatus which will be free from the above noted objections. and in the present embodiment of my invention I have. provided the traveling conveyor with means whereby the large emptyhags or envelops when placed thereon will be positioned most favorably for filling and for transfer thereafter to the fastening mechanism with a minimum of handling.

The apparatus in which my invention is embodied conserves time and energy-on the part of the operatives, and the output of the apparatus as a whole is largely increased.

The various novel features of my invention will be fully described in the subjoined specification and particularly pointed out in the following claims.

Figure 1 is a front elevation, centrally broken out, of an assembling apparatus embodying one practical form of my present invention, it being understood that the end portions of the apparatus are a long distance apart in actual practice;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view on ill; line 2'2, Fig. 1, looking toward the Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of a portion of the upper run of the conveyor when seen from the front of the apparatus, the nearer anti-friction rolls being removed;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view, detached, of a side stop for use in connection Witl1 the bag or envelop supports on the conveyer.

,iereinafter the word bag is used as a comprehensive term to indicate the bag, envelop or other similar receptacle which is to be filled with a plurality or set of small filled packages or envelops.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 I have indicated at A the series of bins which are to contain the fi and sealed packages or envelops whit o be inserted, one from each bin, into t ge bags, the number of such bins used ding upon the number of different kinds of seeds or other articles which constitute'a set. v

The bins are each provided with a door, as B, through'which a portion of the contents of a bin is withdrawn'from time to time into a distributing reservoir C, formed by the front wall of the series of bins and a longitudinally extended, inclined board D.

The trough thus formed is separated into reservoirs by partitions, as C", and if desired such partition may be a continuation of the I single or a duplex arrangement of the app'aratus.

The bin portion of the apparatus is located at one end thereof, and at the other end, at a distance from the bins, I locate one or more fastening mechanisms, as F, of any suitable character, with a shelf-like Work support w below them and an overhanging, forwardly-projecting flange 111 above said support, all substantially as in my Patent No. 752,373 referred to. The work-su port has a V-shaped opening w in front of each fastenin mechanism, and the back-stop w is provi ed, Fig. 1, as in my prior patent.

In. practice the entire apparatus may be from thirty to forty feet, or more, from end to end, according to the character of the work to be performed, and the bins and fastening mechanisms will be at a height from thefloor convenient for operation by attendants seated before them.

At each end of the apparatus I provide suitable framework, as G, Fig. 1, for the support of rotatable drums H, H on which is mounted an endless, flexible belt conveyer I, one of the drums bein driven from a suitable source of power, gnot shown) by a belt J and pulley K attached to the drum H.

If the duplex form of apparatus be used the conveyer at the front will, in its construction, fittings, and operation be duplicated at the back of the apparatus, hence only one conveyer will be described in detail. The n per run of the conveyer travels upon a fiat horizontal, shelf-like support L carried on suitable brackets of the frame E, and below the reservoirs C and the worksupport 10, but in front thereof, so that pack ages can be taken convenien y from the reservoirs and inserted in bags on the conveyer, the filled bags being thereafter lifted onto the work-support 10, as in the patents before mentioned. The support L is provided with front and back ledges Z, Z between'which the upper run of the conveyer travels and is guided. V

Heretofore the empty bags have been pinched or fulled to open their mouths, and then laid on the upper run of the conveyer, necessitating considerable and undesirable handling in their passage in order to place the small envelops in the bags.

To obviate this I have provided the conveyer with a series of bag supports each of.

which, when on the upper run of the conveyer, is adapted to cooperate with. and maintain a bag in an upright and preferably slightly inclined position with its open mouth uppermost, whereby as the open mouthed bags are moved past the dist-ribut ing reservoirs the sealed envelops or packages taken therefrom can be dropped into the bags without any handling of the latter.

As will appear hereinafter the bag supports are so constructed that the emptyv bags can be applied thereto instantly and full bags can be as quickly removed be fastened or sealed.

The bag support may be made in various forms, and herein I show one convenient structure, comprising a thin sheet metal plate 1 having tubular, laterally separated eyes 2, 3 at its upper and lower edges, the eyes 3 being interposed between similar eyes 4 formed on a foot plate 5, a pintle 6 connecting the two sets of eyes to form a hinge joint.

The eyes 2 are interposed between similar eyes 7 formed on the upper edge of a metal plate 8 constituting a strut or brace, and pivotally connected with the support 1 by a rod 9 extended through the eyes 2 and 7, Fig. 4,

the ends of said rod extending beyond the 1 bag support for a purpose to be referred to. At t e bottom said brace is provided with eyes 10, which are interposed between eyes 11 on'an anchor 12 and pivotally connected thereto by a pintle 13, the anchor 5 being seated on the foot plate 12 and secured thereto by suitable rivets 14 which attach the latter to the conveyer.

The brace 8 of a bagsupportis spaced apart therefrom such a distance that the support 1 will be maintained at the desired angle with relation to the upper run of the conveyer, the bottom of the opened bag M resting between the lower end of its support and the pivotal connection between the next brace 8 beyond and the conveyer,-as shown at the right, Fig. 1.

As the conveyer travels around the convex surface of the drum H, or H, the pivotal connection between each bag support and its back brace permits the requisite change in the angle between said parts, the jointing or articulation of the bag supports and their braces together and to the conveyer giving all requisite flexibility and preventing cramping or distortion.

The opened bags will beplaced against the supports 1 as the latter assume their proper operative position, shown at the right, Fig. 1,"'and the supported and positioned bags will be moved past the distributing reservoirs C, where operatives are stationed to fill the bags, and the filled bags are then conveyed to the vicinity of the fastening mechanisms F.

As they reach this locality the filled bags 13:;

. whioh-can'be app-lied 'r'emovably to the bag support at either side thereof, the stop when positioned pl reventing lateral movement of the-bag a at side-o'fthe support.

Referring to Fig. 5 the stop or guard, preferably lnade' of resilient sheet metal,

comprises a iflat' body.:bent up' at one end at 15 and sliit'ted zto present' a central tongue 16 and" the "shorter side portions 17, the tongue: being struck up slightly from the plane of the'body, and preferably it is downturned atits tipgat 18;

'Thwguard' is applied to the edge of the bag supportgth e:parts 17 passing behind and thetongue 16in front of the support, which la tter "iscentrallyslotted at 19 to receive the .tip 18 of the tongue, and I also prefer to notch the side edge of the support, at 20, to receivethe upset orbent root of the =tongh1e-,=r I-thisi arrangelnent maintaining the side stopor guard atza fixed distance fronit thei'oo'nvleyer and'locked upon the bag 7 support, a-the'v resiliency." of the guard assisting in -so doings F I "1 inaking are side stop reversible as to the bag support the conveyor equipped with bag 5 supports can be used interchangeably at the back or front :of the apparatus Without any -'a-lterwtion other than to 7 shift the stops: from one f to the 1 other side of the bag suppontsniw t U Herein the stops are set to prevent any transverse movement of a bag, ofi its support toward the back of the conveyor.

It will -be notedmthat the" stops do not interfere in theleast with the placing or removal ofthe gbags.

The bag supports and their adjuncts, even when made as'light in 'weightas is compatible with strength and durability, will add qll lte mitlil li lfti to the dead load of the coni=evon,.-andi thisqis particularly the case when runs of 4:0 feetor more are used.

Hence the strain upon the conveyer would be injurious andwould cause rapid Wear of the: conveying: mechanism unless" the lower run of the conveyor were supportedbetween the drums, and-I have shownmeans for supporting the lower run of the conveyer in such manner th'at'it is not subjected to any material strain. t r Referring to Fig. lit Will be seen that as the bag supports pass around the drum H they are brought into a depending position beneath the part of" the conveyer constituting the lower run thereof, and upon the transverse rods 9 I mount antiiriction or'l'icaring rolls 21, said rolls being mounted 5 to rotate freely on th'e 'projecting ends From the section'25 the-hearing rolls 21 travel down-the= inclined 1 section 26 until they pass from its loWer eIid When-the correspondingba'g supponts =-are carried around the drumI-Ix By the arrangement described the lowel run of the'coni eyer liis supportedinn horizontal plane ionthe greater part of its length, so that none of its adjuncts add their weight from one 'to the other end of the track-' section iZfiu and ns willhe apparentthe inclined sections 24,20: support all but my four or fiver-of the depending bag, supports. v I. r v

It is preferable to" uso the inclined approaching section 24 a nd an oppositely inclined leavingsectifon: '26 because thereby the support of the loiwer ruuoi the conveyor is gradually transmitted through the: supports 1 and braces 8 to. the section 24 and'thc belt is gradually elevated toihorizontal position, whilethe supportlof the conveyer is gradw ally Withdrawn hy'thc inclination of the section 26;

'By the construction shown there is practically no sag 'Wlzattwcr to the lower run of the conrcyer and as there is substantially no stretch I am enabled to dispense with tension means or belt tightenin; devices.

when the bag sup iiortsare on the upper ruuof the conveyor they aresubjected to very little strairngbui both thesupports and their back braces ar put under comprcssirm on the lower run, and operate inthe manner of an articulated truss to sustain the lower run. i V i I Various changes or modifications in do tails of construction and arrangement.inav be made by thoseslcil-led i n the art Without departingifrom the spirit and sc pe of my invention as set forth. in the claims l'iereunto annexed. I

Haring fully" .P-Smiibed my invention,

What I claim asncw and desire to secul r b reservoirs and fastening mechanism, a series of bag supports on the eonveyer,to sustain the. bags in upright position along the upper run of the conveyor, and means acting through said bag supports when on the lower run of said conveyor to sustain the latter.

In an apparatus of the class described, a series of distributing reservoirs, bag closing means at a distance therefrom, an endless traveling conveyer having its upper run in. front of and adjacent said reservoirs and closing means, and a series of bag supports mounted on the conveyer and adapted when on the upper run thereof to sustain the bags in substantially upright position with their mouths uppermost.

3. In an apparatus of the class described, a series of distributing reservoirs, bag closing means at a distauce'therefrom, an endless traveling conveyer having its upper run in front of and adjacent said reservoirs and closing means, a series of bag supports mounted on and permanently connected with the conveyer, to sustain bags on the upper run thereof in a substantially upright position with their mouths uppermost, "and a brace connecting each support and the conveyor, to maintain the support in an up right and slightly inclined position when on the upper run of the conveyor.

4. In an apparatus of the class described, a series of distributing reservoirs, bag closing means at a distance therefrom, an endless traveling conveyer having its upper run in front of and adjacent said reservoirs and closing means, a series of bag supports pivotally connected at their lower ends with the conveyer, and a back brace pivotally connected with the conveyor and with the upper end of each bag support, to maintain the latter in operative position relative to the conveyer while permitting relative movement at the ends of the runs.

In an apparatus of the class described, a. series of distributing reservoirs, a bag fastening mechanism at a distance therefrom. an endless traveling conveyer having its upper run. in front of and adjacent said reservoirs and fastening mechanism, a series of bag supports on the conveyor, to sustain the bags in upright position along the upper. run of the conveyer, a fixed track beneath the lower run of the conveyen and bearing rolls carried by the bag supports and adapt- 'ed to travel. on said track when the supports 'are on the lower run, to thereby sustain and prevent sagging of the lower run of the. conveyer. r v

6. In an apparatus of the class described, aseries of distributing reservoirs. a bag fastening mechanism at a distance therefrom, an endless traveling convever having its upper run in front of and adjacent said reservoirs and fastening mechanisn'i. a series of alternating bag supports and back braces connected with the conveyer and regularly spaced apart lengthwise thereof, each brace connected with a bag support to position the latter on each run, bearing rolls supported by the connected portions of each support and its brace. and a fixed track below the conveyor and upon which the rolls travel, to'sustain the lower run of the conveyer. v

7. In an apparatus of the class described, a series of distributing reservoirs, a bag fastening mechanism at a distance therefrom, an endless traveling conveyer having its upper run in front of and adjacent said reservoirs and fastening mechanism. a series of bag supports on the conveyer, to sustain the bags in upright position along the upper run of the conveyor, and means, including a fixed track below the conveyer and having a horizontal central section and inclined end sections, to act through the bag supports when on the lower run of the conveyer and sustain the lower run thereof. 7

8. In an apparatus of the class described, a plurality of distributing reservoirs, a bag fastening mechanism at a distance therefrom, a work-support in cooperative relation to said mechanism, a traveling conveyor passing in front of and adjacent said reservoirs and fastening mechanism and belowthe work-support, to convey bags filled from said reservoirs to the vicinity of the worksupport, and devices on the conveyor to engage-and sustain the bags with their mouths uppermost as they are moved along the front of said reservoirs.

9. In an apparatus of the class described,

a series of distributing reservoirs arranged in a. row, a bag fastening mechanism at a distance therefrom. an endless traveling conveyer having its upper run passing in front of'and adjacent said reservoirs and the fastening mechanism, to present bags to be filled from the reservoirs and to convey filled bags thence to the fastening mechanism, and a series of regularly disposed devices on the conveyer to engage and sustain the bags, while on the upper run, in substantially upright position with their mouths uppermost, whereby the filling of the bags from the reservoir is facilitated.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification. in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

BENJAMIN F. BROWN. 

